Last updated: 07/21/2009

Home  | 2009 Award/Scholarship Winners  |  Chalice Lighters Call  |  Calendar  |  Contact Us

 

 

 

 

 
2009 District Annual Meeting
Return to Annual Meeting main page

All About the Annual Meeting

  

 
When and Where   The 2009 Annual Meeting takes place Friday, May 1 – Saturday, May 2, 2009, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Jersey City NJ. Check-in is from 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday and again on Saturday morning from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. The meeting closes at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, although the UU Network Mall will stay open until 3:30 p.m.
 
Turning Outward . . . Acting on Faith   The theme is “Turning Outward . . . Acting on Faith,” focusing on the fourth system – the Serving System – in the congregational systems model advanced by Larry Peers. To quote Larry: “Service to others is a powerful way for an individual to grow spiritually. Service is a way for servant-leaders to emerge. The congregation is attentive to providing support and recognition for individuals to grow through serving others – and using one’s gifts, talents, or passion in meaningful and powerful ways. This is tied with your community presence: What you do within your congregation and how you serve others in the broader community extends your presence beyond the walls of your congregation. Others encounter your community presence – by the way that you socially incarnate your values and your purpose. Your congregational program becomes a bridge to those in the broader community seeking spiritual nurture, a spiritual community, and meaningful service.”
 
About the Hotel   A block of rooms is being held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Jersey City NJ at the reduced room rate of $119 plus tax (single or double). To make a reservation (you must be at least 21 years old), visit http://www.jerseycity.hyatt.com and use the group code G-UUNY to secure the reduced room rate. Or call 1-800-233-1234 and give the group code G-UUNY. The deadline for reserving a room at the reduced rate is April 10.
 
Financial Assistance   For those in financial need, scholarships are available to help defray the cost of staying in the hotel, the cost of registration, or the cost of childcare so parents can attend. To apply for a scholarship, contact  Andrea Lerner at 914-373-0193  or by email - .
 
Meals   Unless you register for Friday only, lunch on Saturday is included in your registration fee. For dinner on Friday and breakfast on Saturday, the hotel restaurant, Vu, is available, and there are many nearby restaurants as well. For a listing, click here .
 
Special Requests   If you have accessibility or other special requests, please indicate them on the registration form and register by April 17. The luncheon on Saturday will be buffet style; vegetarian and vegan selections will be available without special request.
 
Carbon Offset Donations   Help Make the Annual Meeting Green! Annual Meeting participants can help offset the carbon footprint of the Annual Meeting by donating $2 on their registration forms. Proceeds will be given to Carbonfund.org, a non-profit organization promoting low-cost carbon reductions and supporting renewable energy, energy efficiency, and reforestation projects that reduce and offset carbon dioxide emissions.
 
Especially For Youth   It’s commonly said that “Young people are the future of our movement.” We believe that they are also a vital part of the “now” of our movement. We are continuing our concerted effort to create an Annual Meeting that is more representational of our congregational life. Again this year, youth and young adult leaders are encouraged to register as participants for the entire conference. A special social justice presentation by youth and young adults will take place Friday night. Saturday workshops will be presented by and for youth and young adults. Youth (grades 9-12) should register online by April 24 and return signed forms to Andrea Lerner. Youth must be registered in advance; no walk-ins will be permitted. Youth may be housed with parents/guardians at the hotel or stay with the youth caucus at a local congregation.
 
Delegates   If you would like to be a member delegate for your congregation, talk to your board president/chair. Each certified congregation is entitled to one member delegate for every 50 members, and no fewer than two member delegates. Settled ministers and credentialed (master level) religious education directors of certified congregations are also entitled to be delegates. Each delegate is allowed one vote at the Annual Business Meeting on Saturday. Delegates will vote in the election of the District President, District Trustees, and members the District Nominating Committee. Delegates check in at a specially marked table, in addition to checking in as registrants.
 
UU Network Mall   The exhibit area will be open from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Friday and from 10:00 am to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Congregations and UU-related organizations will share, network, and inspire you with their displays. Be sure to stop by the District Store. To sponsor an exhibit, click here or contact the District Administrator by email or by phone at 914-271-7861 before April 14. If you would like to submit merchandise for sale at the District Store on a consignment basis (15% commission to the District), contact Store Manager Ira Lerner by email  . You won’t have to staff a table or handle money but you can still sell your goods!
 
Transportation
 
Hotel Address
Hyatt Regency
2 Exchange Place*, Jersey City NJ
201-469-1234 (tel) 201-432-4991 (fax)
 
*Please note: The hotel is not at the eastern end of Montgomery Street, as Google Maps and GPS devices will direct you, but is at the very eastern end of Christopher Columbus Drive.
 
Go Green
For a “greener” annual meeting, (and to save parking expenses) you are encouraged to use public transportation and ridesharing. You will find information for each, along with driving information below.
 
Public Transportation
Buses, trains, and ferries will drop you almost at the doorstep of the hotel. The easiest way to explore getting to the hotel is http://maps.google.com/transit. It often provides several options using various public transport modes and lists the details of your trip, including stations, transport modes, distances, and travel times. If you want to work things out for yourself, here are some links:

The PATH runs from Midtown and Lower Manhattan, as well as Hoboken and Newark’s Penn Station, to Exchange Place right next-door to the hotel. Here is a PDF map of PATH Stations Acrobat Reader Required.

The Hudson–Bergen Light Rail runs in New Jersey from North Bergen/West New York down to Bayonne and also drops you off at Exchange Place. Here is a map of the Hudson-Bergen Line.

If you are coming from other parts of New Jersey, a variety of options are available, with your goal being to eventually take the PATH to Exchange Place which is right outside the hotel. Here is New Jersey Transit information.

If you are coming from New York City and Long Island, a variety of options are available, with your goal being to link up with a PATH station in Midtown or Lower Manhattan. This will take you to Exchange Place. Here is New York transportation information. (Here is a sample route, as defined by Google, for a Long Island Congregation.)

If you are coming from our northern most congregations, MTA Metro-North Railroad is a fine option to get you into Manhattan, with your goal being to link up with a PATH station in Midtown or Lower Manhattan. This will take you to Exchange Place which is right outside the hotel. (Here is a sample route, as defined by Google, for Connecticut congregations and here is a route for Poughkeepsie NY and points south.)
 
Ridesharing
If you do not want to use public transportation, help the district “Go Green” and reduce the carbon footprint and expense of parking in Jersey City. (Check out the parking information below.) This year the Metro NY District is experimenting with the RideShare Alliance. This web-based service lets you post a rider or driver notice to a private bulletin board reserved just for our annual meeting.
 
Just copy down the appropriate event code and then click on the link below. The code depends upon the day you are traveling to the annual meeting. Use one of the codes on the RideShare home page to connect with our event. You will need to register (free) as a user to post the need for a ride or the availability of seats in your car.
 
If you are traveling to the Annual Meeting on:
bullet Thursday April 30 (ministers coming in for the pre-meeting), the code is uudmny-t. Use this code at the RideShare homepage or just click here to begin.
bullet Friday May 1, the code is uudmny-f. Use this code at the Rideshare homepage or just click here to begin.
bullet Saturday May 2, the code is uudmny-s. Use this code at the Rideshare homepage or just click here to begin.
 
Driving
If you are driving, we also hope you have considered sharing your available seats with riders who are looking for ways to go green and save money. Please refer to the RideSharing section above.
 
Very good driving directions are provided by the hotel and are located here.
 
Parking
Beyond the benefits of going green, another reason to avoid driving is because parking is inconvenient or costly in Jersey City. Hopefully you will reduce those costs by using RideShare, as described above. Here are the facts about parking:
bullet Valet parking is available at the front door of the hotel. The rate is $32 overnight until 5 pm the following day with free “in and out” privileges or $25 per day until 11 pm.
bullet A self-parking garage is located at 10 Exchange Place. All guests parked at the garage must present their garage ticket stub to the Hotel Cashier located at Guest Services on the first floor of the hotel for validation prior to their departure from the garage. The rate is $10 for 0-3 hours, $15 for 3-6 hours, or $24 for 6 or more hours and for overnight.
bullet Parking garages off-site are also available. One of the better options, about 2½ blocks from the hotel, is Central Parking Garage at 135 Greene Street (click here for Google map). Rates are $20 for 3-12 hours or $22 for a maximum of 24 hours. “In and out” privileges are not free. If you want to choose another garage click here for a map of additional local parking and call them to be sure parking is public and that they are open on Friday evenings and Saturdays – some closer to the hotel are not.
bullet Jersey City has no street parking for nonresidents that is longer than 4 hours. You will not be able to park on the street. They “boot” violators.
 

Guided by our living faith, the Unitarian Universalist District of Metropolitan New York exists to be a source of connection and transformation for our congregations and our larger world.